A LABOUR revolt against Jeremy Corbyn has split the party in Scotland, as the under-fire leader admitted he had suffered a "torrid few days" but defiantly pledged to fight on.

Alex Rowley, the deputy leader of Scottish Labour, put his name to a statement alongside left wing MSPs Neil Findlay and Richard Leonard backing Mr Corbyn, who has faced an avalanche of shadow cabinet resignations and demands for him to stand down in the wake of last week's EU referendum.

However, 13 other MSPs, representing a majority of Labour parliamentarians at Holyrood, signed a separate letter urging the UK leader to go. They include former Scottish Labour leaders Iain Gray and Johann Lamont as well as senior front benchers Jackie Baillie and Anas Sarwar.

Kezia Dugdale, the leader of Scottish Labour, was not among the signatories but has already heaped pressure on her UK couterpart to quit, saying that she would resign if she had suffered the same loss of support.

It leaves Ms Dugdale with a contrary position to her deputy, the Fife MSP Mr Rowley, who remained by her side as she faced Nicola Sturgeon at First Minister's Questions yesterday.

The statement Mr Rowley signed stated that Mr Corbyn had been democratically elected with the backing of almost 60 per cent of members, adding that events of the previous few days had "broken the hearts" of members across the UK.

It added: "His campaign succeeded because he offered an alternative to the austerity driven divisions within our economy and society. Labour Party members are not passive onlookers to be used and exploited at election time, only to be ignored thereafter – they are the lifeblood of our party, we are nothing without them.

"Democracy wherever it is found is a precious thing – we therefore want to make it clear that we wish to uphold the democratic rights of Labour Party members and support the democratically elected leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn."

In the counter-statement from MSPs calling for Mr Corbyn to go, it is claimed that with the prospect of a general election within months, the leader "has to have the confidence of the MPs he leads" to be candidate for Prime Minister.

It added: "It is deeply regrettable that we have to make such a statement, but for the good of the party and, more importantly, the country we believe Jeremy Corbyn, who is a principled man, must do the right thing and allow the party to once again provide effective opposition and regroup as a credible party of Government."

Mr Corbyn this week overwhelmingly lost a vote of confidence among his parliamentary party at Westminster. It has been expected that Angela Eagle, the former shadow business secretary, would launch a formal challenge to Mr Corbyn yesterday and spark a leadership contest.

However, sources said she had decided to hold off because of the turmoil engulfing the Conservatives following the shock withdrawal of Boris Johnson from its leadership race. Mr Corbyn has vowed to stand again should a contest be triggered.

In a further blow to the veteran socialist, a letter signed by 540 Labour councillors was posted on the LabourList website saying he was "unable to command the confidence of the whole party nor of many traditional Labour supporters we speak with on the doorstep".

Mr Corbyn admitted facing a "torrid few days" but defiantly called on the party to "unite" after the "tumultuous" week that had followed the EU referendum.

He said: "The last year, with all its highs and lows, has left me with every confidence that Labour has the potential to be a powerful and transformatory movement capable of winning the next general election, whenever that comes."

He added: "But my confidence and optimism are not naive. We all know that despite the overwhelming mandate I was given by Labour Party members and supporters last year, we have all had a torrid few days, well, at least I have."